IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND: HOW THE FUND CAN BETTER SUPPORT DEVELOPING COUNTRY INSTITUTIONS

The paper examines the GCF's 'direct access' modality, which allows developing country institutions to receive funding without international intermediaries. While 62 such entities were accredited by November 2020, 42 (67%) had not yet received project approval. The authors analyze four support mechanisms—the Readiness Programme, Project Preparation Facility (PPF), Simplified Approval Process (SAP), and Enhancing Direct Access pilot—finding that high costs, complex application processes, and restrictive funding rules create significant bottlenecks. The paper recommends automating 'kick-off' funding upon accreditation, streamlining the SAP, and allowing preparatory funds to cover internal staff time.

• International Accredited Entities dominate the GCF portfolio, accounting for over 80 percent of funded projects by number and 82 percent of the total dollar value of approved finance.
• The Readiness Programme is limited by its primary focus on National Designated Authorities rather than the accredited entities themselves, and it prohibits the use of funds for 'core support' such as staff time within the Direct Access Entity.
• The Project Preparation Facility (PPF) is difficult to access because it requires an endorsed concept note before funding is granted, creating a financial gap for entities that cannot afford the high cost of developing these notes, which frequently exceed $100,000.
• The Simplified Approval Process (SAP), intended for projects under $50 million with low risk, has not significantly reduced the burden or time required for approval compared to full proposals.
• The Enhancing Direct Access pilot has largely failed to meet its goals, approving only two projects in its first five years against a target of 10, potentially due to complex governance requirements and a funding cap that is too low for many accredited entities.

APA

CALDWELL, M., & LARSEN, G. (2021). IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND: HOW THE FUND CAN BETTER SUPPORT DEVELOPING COUNTRY INSTITUTIONS. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/improving-access-green-climate-fund_0.pdf

Chicago

CALDWELL, MOLLY, and GAIA LARSEN. IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND: HOW THE FUND CAN BETTER SUPPORT DEVELOPING COUNTRY INSTITUTIONS. World Resources Institute, 2021. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/improving-access-green-climate-fund_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CALDWELL |first1=MOLLY |last2=LARSEN |first2=GAIA |title=IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND: HOW THE FUND CAN BETTER SUPPORT DEVELOPING COUNTRY INSTITUTIONS |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=February 2021 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/improving-access-green-climate-fund_0.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{caldwell2021improving, author = {CALDWELL, MOLLY and LARSEN, GAIA}, title = {{IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND: HOW THE FUND CAN BETTER SUPPORT DEVELOPING COUNTRY INSTITUTIONS}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/improving-access-green-climate-fund_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }